


Relentlessly Gay

by acklesbbykate



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beekeeper Castiel (Supernatural), Birdwatching, Boys Kissing, Caring Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural)'s Handprint, Castiel Has a Crush on Dean Winchester, Castiel has Bees, Castiel has Chickens, Castiel has Dogs, Cute Winchester Spawn, Dean Winchester Has a Crush on Castiel, Dean Winchester is Quiet, DestielFFPrompt, F/M, Gay Castiel (Supernatural), Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Lifting Kink, POV Castiel, Protective Dean Winchester, Romance, Sort Of, Stubborn Dean Winchester, Sweet Dean Winchester, mute character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2019-07-18 18:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16124456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acklesbbykate/pseuds/acklesbbykate
Summary: "Dear Resident of Collins Avenue,Your yard is becoming RELENTLESSLY GAY! Myself and others in the neighborhood ask that you TONE IT DOWN. This is a CHRISTIAN area and there are children. Keep it up and I will be forced to call the police on you! Your kind need to have respect for GOD.A Concerned Homeowner"Castiel couldn't imagine his life without his beautiful, fun, vibrantly colored yard. But when he received the letter, he did what he had to do to keep the peace. He, as the letter asked, toned it down.Too bad for him, Dean wasn't about to let him give in to those homophobic assbutts.And if Cas falls for the quiet, green eyed man in the meantime? Well... he can't help it. He is Relentlessly Gay, after all.





	1. Bees and Chickens and Dogs, oh my!

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt by MamaMoonandBack on the Destiel Port facebook group. I just couldn't resist it!!! Also, Cover art coming soon!!
> 
> Words that are just underlined are sign language.

A pleasant calmness fell over Cas where stood at his kitchen window, looking out over his sunflowers and sipping at his coffee. He smiled at the way they were perking up in the morning sun, waving in the gentle breeze. It was nearing eight a.m. and he could see that the Summer day was going to be gorgeous and warm. He hoped that meant there would be plenty of activity around his home today. He kept his doors - his lawn, really - open to his neighbors and friends to come and enjoy all the effort he’d put into his home, as well as sit and visit. He’d already stepped out and opened the front gate to signal that people were welcome to come into the yard. Everyone basically knew his routine by now, that he opened the gate around eight a.m. and closed it around 6 p.m., and if it was closed during those hours it either meant he was sick, out of town, or doing heavy work on the property that meant no one could be running around.

Much to his bible-thumping parents’ and introverted siblings’ ire, he had always been a social child. That never changed even now that he was nearing forty. He loved having the neighborhood kids come around with their friends to run through the sunflowers playing tag or hide-and-go-seek. There were a few brave ones who loved to help him with the bees, and he always kept fresh, homemade lemonade - a secret recipe made with honey from his bees - and cheese and crackers for the ones that were thirsty or hungry. He’d rigged up a swing from the large Oak tree in his side yard. There was a garden they could help him in, and a hen house that the kids loved to help gather eggs from. Bird feeders, bird houses, and bird baths all decorated the land around his house - his favorite being the bright green hummingbird feeder that stood proudly next to the stairs to the porch - that the kids loved to look at and run around. A few of the bird houses had even been painted by the kids.

While he knew the kids loved coming over for the fun, he also figured part of the attraction to his home was all the bright colors. His house was a simple white with pale blue shutters, but everything else was painted in vivid, vibrant shades. His hen house was bright red and white, painted to look like a classic barn. The bird houses, bird feeders, and bird baths were mostly painted every shade of the rainbow in their brightest shades: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. A couple were pink, as was the swing hanging from the Oak tree. There were the bright yellow sunflowers, the shades of green in his garden, and the fence surrounding his property was a luminescent white: the classic white picket fence. But his prized possessions were his four rainbow painted bee boxes. His property was whimsical and fun and never failed to make him smile. It was far from the gloomy shades-of-gray, no-hair-out-of-place household he’d grown up in, and finding a house and turning into the home it is today had taken him years.

He finished his coffee and rinsed his mug, brushing off the memories of his strict childhood. After sticking it in his dishwasher he popped back in his bedroom to change into an old, ratty pair of jeans and a soft, worn-in pink t-shirt. He was in the middle of brushing his teeth when his Border Collie, Cooper, started barking excitedly in the living room, which caused his elderly Basset Hound, Major, to look up from his position on Castiel’s bed and start braying. Cas rolled his eyes at them and rinsed his mouth. He pulled on his sneakers and stepped over to the door.

“Come on, Major,” he called, prompting the greying canine to climb down his little stairs at the side of the bed and trundle out towards his younger and more energetic doggy brother. Cas loved the way Major’s ears would trail the floor.

He opened the front door to see Lucas sitting on the front porch with a small yellow pail. The dogs darted out - well, _Cooper_ darted, while Major just waddled - to greet Lucas then hit the yard for their morning business.

“Hello, Lucas. How are you this morning?” Lucas smiled shyly and gave him a thumbs up before holding the pail up towards him. Lucas was mute, but he signed like a pro. Cas had worked hard to learn ASL to be able to communicate with the boy. He’d met Lucas and his mother when they came to investigate the chickens. Now, Castiel regularly sent fresh eggs home with Lucas, and Lucas regularly came to help collect them. He was so bright, but terribly shy, but the two had become buddies.

Eggs? Cas squatted down to Lucas’s level and signed. I’m sure Daisy has missed you this week.

I’ll collect the eggs first, then I’ll visit Daisy. Daisy was his Orpington hen, a pretty golden chicken with a friendly disposition. He wasn’t surprised that quiet, animal-loving Lucas had become so taken with her.

While Lucas meandered over to the coop to begin collecting, Cas turned the sprinkler on in his garden to give the plants and vegetables their water. Major had made his way back onto the porch and was laying contently in the warm sunlight. Cooper was herding the chickens around, which they weren’t fond of and they squawked indignantly to let him know. His rooster, Elvis, flapped after Cooper in exasperation. Cas laughed at their antics, but then his attention was pulled away by tiny hands pulling on his fingers.

“Misser Castle, Misser Castle! I finded you a hunsbin!” Mary, a beautiful and spirited little three year old who came around with her older sister, Claire, reached her chubby little arms up and Cas bent to scoop her into an affectionate hug. The girls mother, Jody, was the sheriff of their small little town, and their father, Sam, was a local attorney. He knew the two worked some odd hours, and Claire was paid to watch over Mary. Often times, the two ended up here. Secretly, Cas thought Claire brought her younger sister here because she would run off her energy while Claire could sit on the porch with Major and work on her writing.

“You found me a husband, huh Mare-bear?” He asked as he lightly tickled her tummy, receiving a high pitched giggle in return as she wiggled out of his arms.

He’d been nervous - more like terrified - when Mary had asked him months ago why he didn’t have a wife and Claire responded that he wanted a husband. Castiel knew it wasn’t hard to guess that he was gayer than Neil Patrick Harris, but he didn’t know how Mary - or her parents, because without a doubt Mary would talk about it - would take the news. Mary hadn’t blinked an eye and just corrected her question, keeping her tiny hands on her hips. As it turned out, their parents were allies and actually brought him a bottle of wine to apologize for their mouthy daughter invading his business. He enjoyed Sam and Jody - and Claire and Mary - immensely and was happy they had become friends.

“Uh-huh. My unca Dee. He wuvs your sunfwowers. You haffa take him one an’ den you’ll be hunsbins an’ live happy ever af’er!” She clapped her hands then ran over to hug on major, clearly thinking her advice was solid and her plan perfect. Cas shook his head fondly at her and winked at Claire who was shaking her head as well. He turned back to the gate to greet the three boys that were already begging to dig for worms in the garden to use as fishing bait the next day. As he was greeting them and assuring them he was fine with that, he saw the big black car that Sam and Jody’s neighbor drove pass by. The man inside waved two fingers casually in greeting, just like he did every time he saw Cas outside, but he didn’t smile. Never smiled, in fact, it seemed to Cas, but he didn’t let that stop him from smiling and giving a full wave in return.

The day progressed in as much fun and excitement as he expected. The yard was filled with children and a couple of parents who occasionally joined in the fun. There was laughter and singing and yelling. He loved it. He pulled out the plastic cups and pitcher of lemonade around noon. Lisa and her son Ben brought finger sandwiches, surprising Castiel. A few hours after lunch saw bird feeders refilled, animals played with, plants watered, and other odd jobs done. On a lot this large, especially with the full yard, there was always something to be done. He’d saved his main goal for today as a surprise for the kids who stuck around in the heat of the day.

He whistled sharply from the porch and waited until all the kids had gathered around. Lisa was cleaning up the food and drinks left on the porch, and she grinned, knowing what was in store.

“I thought I’d make a deal with you all. Major and Cooper are due for their baths today, and anyone who wants to help is also welcome to play in the water hose! If you want to run home and put on swim suits, I’ll wait on you to get back.” There was a cacophony of thrilled screams and a few kids dashed from the yard to get suited up. The rest either went back to what they were doing or followed Castiel to the empty driveway. He pulled the big silver basin out from the garage, where it held the dog soap, a few sponges, two dog brushes, and some ratty towels. While the kids dived in after the stuff in the basin and determined who would do what, Castiel unrolled the hose from the side of the house and closed the garage door so water wouldn’t get sprayed inside.

Once the rest of the kids were back, he let them get to work while he sat on the porch with Lisa. They were both sipping on lemonade and watching the kids and dogs. They talked about everything and nothing, and once the dogs were clean and dried and the driveway cleaned back up, he was getting hugs from sopping wet children before they left to go home, tired but happy. The last to leave were Claire and Mary. Mary launched herself into Castiel’s arms and gave him a wet hug.

“I wuv you, Misser Castle,” she said with a cuddle. His heart melted at the precious little girl, and he cuddled her back, not minding in the slightest that she was dripping cold water all over him.

“Love you too, Mare-bear.” He thumped Claire lightly on the shoulder and smiled. “And you too, Claire-bear.” Claire rolled her eyes, but smiled back indulgently. “Come on, I’ll walk you guys home.” They shut the gate so the dogs wouldn’t follow them, and headed down the street. Cas held tight to Mary as she tucked her face against his neck, shivering from being cold and wet. He asked Claire about her writing, and whether she was enjoying her summer break or ready to get back to school. Sam was home when they got there, and Cas traded a sleepy Mary off to her father, who thanked him for wearing her out. He said goodbye to Claire, and when he turned around to head back down their walk, his eyebrows shot up. Cooper was sitting in the grass looking up at him, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth, happy as could be.

“Did you jump the gate?” Cas asked, receiving a cock of the head from Cooper. Cas cocked his head back. “I bet you jumped the gate, you heathen.” He smiled and scratched Cooper’s ears. “Well, come on, let’s go home. I bet you and your brother are hungry after such a busy day, huh?” Cas looked up at the loud noise of the engine in the big, black car coming down the street. He once again received a half-hearted wave from the driver and returned it with a more enthusiastic one. He had a momentary thought that his neighbors, including Mr. Big Sexy Black Car, seeing him walk down the street carrying on a one-sided conversation with a dog might make him seem weird. A glance down at his faithful companion made him realize he couldn’t care less.

What he did care about was the fact that his gate was wide open when he returned to his little slice of heaven. He remembered, quite vividly actually, seeing Claire close the gate behind her. He even remembered hearing the little metal latch click closed. With a frown, he looked at the latch carefully to see if anything broke on it, but it looked just fine. He pushed the gate closed, and it latched perfectly. He looked down at Cooper in confusion, who was staring back up at his master with bright blue eyes that matched Castiel’s own, but of course the dog had no wisdom to share. With a shrug, he turned and made his way back up to the house, deciding he must have no heard the latch catch after all, and Cooper just nudged it open to follow them on the walk.

As he got closer he saw a white sheet of paper taped to his front door. He frowned, realizing someone must have opened the gate to put it there and let the dog out. He was lucky Cooper was well behaved enough to just come straight to him instead of running all over the neighborhood. And of course, Major hadn’t bothered to move from his spot on the porch. When he reached the door he pulled the note off with a huff. He read it once. Then read it again. He was having trouble processing. It wasn’t until he read it a third time that he realized what it was saying, and what the implications were. He sat down on the front step, Cooper and Major invading his space immediately.

_Dear Resident of Collins Avenue,_  
_Your yard is becoming **RELENTLESSLY GAY**! Myself and others in the neighborhood ask that you **TONE IT DOWN**. This is a **CHRISTIAN** area and there are children. Keep it up and I will be forced to call the police on you! Your kind need to have respect for **GOD**._  
_A Concerned Homeowner_

Cas stared at the page, lost in thoughts of his neighbors hating him and hating his little haven. He mulled it over for what seemed like hours before deciding that it would be best to comply. They weren’t asking him to cut down his sunflowers, or take down his bird houses, they just wanted him to ‘de-gayify’ the yard. He could make that tragic compromise to keep the peace. He did love this town and this house, and he didn’t want to cause any distress in his community. He hated the thought of even one neighbor being unhappy with him, let alone a whole street of them.

With his mind made up to go through with his plan, he rose to his feet. He let Major and Cooper into the house, laying out their bowls of food and refilling their water dish before grabbing his wallet and keys. He locked up and opened the garage. He’d have to take his car since he would be bringing back gallons of paint and some supplies. Normally he would ride his bike into town. He pulled out onto Collins Avenue and headed towards town to get the necessary white paint to fix the damage he’d done to his neighborhood. And if he shed a few tears over it on the drive there, no one needed to know.


	2. Mr. Sexy Green Eyed Growly Voice with the Matching Sexy Car

Sleep didn’t come at all that night for Castiel, and his stress over the letter and the coming day left him tossing and turning in frustration. He tried everything he knew of to push him towards oblivion, but by four in the morning, he knew it was a hopeless endeavor. He resigned himself to his fate of sleep deprivation and rose out of bed. He spent a few minutes petting and cooing at Cooper and Major, their sleepy affection bringing a moment of peace to his otherwise tumultuous thoughts.

_Relentlessly gay…_

_Tone it down…_

_Christian area…_

_Forced to call the police…_

Cas rubbed a hand over his face, sighing softly. He trudged to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, a larger amount than he usually makes since he figured he’d need a little extra to get through this early morning after a night of no sleep. While it brewed, he went through his normal morning routine and got ready for the day. Once he was sitting at the table, dressed in ratty jeans, a faded and paint stained ACDC shirt, and worn out sneakers, with his first cup of coffee and a small omelet, he pulled out his phone and started a list of what he would need to do to _tone down_ his _relentlessly gay_ yard.

“One, empty the water from the bird baths so they can dry before I repaint them,” he mumbled as he typed. He absent-mindedly fed Cooper what was left of the omelet that he had barely picked at while he finished his list. Looking at it all laid out bare in front of his eyes, typed by his own hand, brought a fresh round of tears to his eyes. He felt like he was being told he had to cut off his right arm in order to please people he _thought_ had at the very least not minded it, at most actually enjoyed it like he did.

He finished a couple of cups of coffee before forcing himself to stop procrastinating and get to work. He grabbed a flashlight so he would be able to see in the dark and headed outside. Major and Cooper followed him out, less rambunctious than usual from sensing their owner’s melancholy. Castiel glanced at item one on his list before following his own directions and emptying the water from all of the bird baths. For item two, he had to get his half empty box of bird seed to empty all but one or two of the bird feeders. He chose to leave a couple of the conservative green ones instead of any of the more brightly colored ones. Once he put the bird seed back in his shed, he moved the two bird feeders to more appropriate positions on his property than just out in the middle of the yard.

Item three on his list was to pull down the swing from the large oak tree. That took a little time for him to do since he had to carefully climb up, release the ropes holding it to the branch, and then climb back down again. After he put the swing in his shed, he popped back into the house to grab a glass of lemonade. He drank it while staring at the bird houses, the next item on his list. He decided he couldn’t bring himself to paint over the ones that the children had painted for him, and since each of them happened to currently be uninhabited, he carefully took them down and moved them into his living room where at least he could enjoy them and the memories they brought in the privacy of his home without offending anyone.

After he located which remaining bird houses were empty, he took them down and stored them in the shed with the swing and the bird feeders. The ones that were currently holding nests were carefully painted the same soft shade of blue as the shutters on his home. He figured since the letter didn’t mention his house itself being ‘too gay’ that this particular muted shade of blue would not offend the neighbors.

Cas frowned at his train of thought, how he was here tearing his heart up while changing things just to keep from offending people, even though by forcing him to make these changes in the first place, these people he was working so hard not to offend were actually offending him. He shook his head, once again deciding to take solace in the fact that he was being the bigger person here. Every time his thoughts strayed to his anger and sadness, he would recite that line like a mantra: _Be the bigger person_.

He checked item five on his list and felt like breaking down all over again. It was time to repaint his bee boxes. His gorgeous, rainbow colored bee boxes that were one of his very favorite things about his yard. With a determined grimace, he reminded himself that at least his neighbors weren’t asking him to get rid of his bees; he didn’t think he’d be able to stay in the home then. The bees were just as much his pets as the hens and rooster or as Cooper and Major. He trekked over to the shed again and pulled out a brush and some conservative white paint. He hummed softly to himself and the bees as he painted over the slats of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Cas had finished the first bee box and was working on the next one when the the big, black car belonging to Sam, Jody, Claire, and Mary’s handsome neighbor drove past. The driver gave the same two-fingered salute type wave he always did, but Cas was struck with nervous wonder over whether this man was one of the unhappy neighbors who wanted his beautiful yard undone. He couldn’t bring himself to wave back with his usual cheer, so all he offered was a half smile as the man passed his home.

With his attention devoted back to carefully smoothing the thick white paint over the slats of the bee box, he didn’t notice the driver back his gorgeous car up to Castiel’s sidewalk. A shrill whistle startled him from his task. He snapped his head up and tilted it in confusion when he realized this man he had seen on a daily basis but never met was sitting at his curb with his window down staring at him as if waiting to be acknowledged.

“Why?”

Cas’s brain short-circuited at the deep growl of the man’s voice. He could recall people saying about his own deep voice that it sounded like he’d been gargling gravel, but he felt like that could be said about Mr. Big Sexy Black Car, too. But what was with the singular word question: why? Why what?

“Well… Why what, exactly?” Cas voiced his thought hesitantly. All the man did was point at the bee box that Cas had been in the process of painting. “Ah,” he answered in sad recognition of what Mr. Big Sexy Black Car was asking about. A spark of hope that this man didn’t understand what he was doing, which meant he probably wasn’t part of the group who was unhappy about the yard in the first place, prompted him to set the paint can down, lay the brush across the top, and walk up to the vehicle. The closer he got, the more his heart stuttered at the sheer beauty of the driver. Mr. Big Sexy Black Car was now being internally dubbed ‘Mr. Sexy Green Eyed Growly Voice with the Matching Sexy Car’.

He stopped at the window, staring into those candy-apple eyes in awe. It wasn’t until one perfectly arched tawny-colored eyebrow hiked up the other man’s forehead that Cas realized he’d been staring longer than what was probably socially acceptable. He could feel the blush creeping up his neck and into his cheeks and hoped it wasn’t that noticeable. He cleared his throat and pulled the folded up note from his pocket, handing it over for the other man to read.

One raised eyebrow turned into two before they both lowered in an expression of anger and accusation. Those piercing eyes turned to Cas before the man offered the paper back with a grunt and a quiet “Cowardly dick” murmured under his breath. Cas, with another confused head tilt, took the paper back and stuffed it in his pocket then watched as the other man pulled away from the curb and rolled his window up as he drove off. The reaction made him rethink his opinion that the other man liked his yard, and the little ray of hope he’d found was quickly diminished.

With a sigh, Cas got back to work on changing his beautiful, vibrant bee boxes to a plain, boring white. He finished the one he had paused in the middle of, then finished a third one before taking another break and ducking inside for a fresh glass of lemonade. He was just about finished with his cool, tart refreshment when he heard the unmistakable sound of the big black car outside his house again. He waited to hear the sound of the engine pass by, but it didn’t. It idled outside before shutting off. Cooper barked excitedly while Major brayed his old man sounding hound dog call.

Confused and curious, Castiel stepped outside onto the front porch. The driver was leaning against the side of the fence petting Cooper and Major. His car was parked in Castiel’s driveway. When Cas stepped down, the man looked up and tilted his head in a mimic of Cas’s own. It brought a reluctant smile to Cas’s face as he walked up to the fence.

“Can I help you with something?” He asked quietly, unsure of himself and of this virtual stranger.

“Dean,” the man said with one of his famous two-fingered waves.

“Cas,” Cas answered quietly, still reeling in confusion and curiosity, nerves even, about what Dean was doing here.

“Cas,” Dean murmured with a nod. “Why are you doing it? What the note said?” Cas took a moment to appreciate hearing Dean speak more than his usual one or two words before sighing and looking down at his feet. He crossed his arms around himself defensively.

“I love my home. I love this town. The last thing I want to do is upset my neighbors. Just because my yard was interesting to children doesn’t mean that it isn’t disruptive to the adults, and I should have thought about that. So now I’m just trying to correct my mistake.” When he looked back up at Dean, the other man was frowning hard and shaking his head.

“No, not disruptive. Amazing.” Dean put a hand on Cas’s shoulder. “Never change.”

Cas didn’t know what to say to the compliment, lost in the sensation of Dean’s large, warm hand on his shoulder.

“I… I have to change it, Dean. I know whoever wrote that note is not completely in the right-” Dean interrupted with a glare and a murmured, “not at all.”

“-but it’s important to me to be the bigger person than whoever wrote the note and keep the peace here. I know it was only written by one person, but it says that the others feel the same way. I can’t ignore that.” Cas repeated the mantra he’d been telling himself since last night after deciding to comply with the requests. _Be the bigger person, be the bigger person…_

Dean’s harsh snort startled Cas and he stared at the slightly taller man in shock. The man was quiet, certainly, but it seemed he was never short on opinions. It made Cas want to smile again, and his eyes lost focus as he found himself thinking about how he would love to get to know this stubborn, strong-minded yet inherently quiet and striking beautiful man. _Not the time, Castiel!_ He focused back on Dean and found him shaking his head again, eyebrows drawn together and eyes staring soul-searchingly into Cas’s own.

“Not about bein’ the bigger person. It’s about not self-sacrificing because one - not a whole neighborhood - _one_ person got his bigot panties in a twist. It’s about standin’ up for yourself, takin’ pride in who you are. Not to mention, if you go through with this you’ll be disappointing a whole neighborhood full of kids AND adults who love this place.”

Cas stared wide-eyed at Dean’s little speech. He thought hard about what Dean was saying, thought about the sad faces of the kids who have taken up residence in his heart through their love of his little home. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized Dean was right. Giving in to a bully is not ‘being the bigger person’. He glanced up at Dean with a smile.

“Thank you, Dean. I guess I needed to be reminded of that.”

“Plus, I have an in with the sheriff. They want to call the police, let them. I’ll call Jody and sic her on ‘em.”

Cas laughed and nodded, understanding they must be friends as well as neighbors.

“So you’ll fix the yard back?”

“Yes, Dean. I’ll fix the yard back how it was,” Cas said, chuckling. He watched as Dean nodded then walked - _Sweet baby Jesus, an Adonis on bow-legs!_ \- back to his car, opening the trunk and pulling out a pair of coveralls. Confusion made Cas cock his head again as Dean stepped into the coveralls and the proceeded to pull out several cans of paint from the trunk. He grabbed one in each hand then opened Cas’s gate and made his way over to the porch. Cas stood by dumbly as Dean brought them two by two to the porch then went back and pulled out supplies, including brushes, rollers, tarps, an extra pair of coveralls, and finally, a well loved Justin Boots baseball cap that he jammed onto his head backwards before smirking at Cas.

“Fucker doesn’t like your yard? Let’s see how he reacts to a ‘relentlessly gay’ rainbow-painted HOUSE.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope yall liked this chapter! Finally we have Dean! Chapters 3 and 4 coming soon!! <3
> 
> Kudos and Comment!!! <3 <3


	3. Castiel is a Smitten Kitten, and Dean...is also a Smitten Kitten

Castiel rubbed the back of his hand across his brow, smearing bright purple paint across his forehead in the process without realizing it. He set his brush down on the paint can and smiled at the finished product of his final fixed bee-box. Glancing around the yard, seeing it back to its state of vibrance and beauty made him smile. All his beautiful bee-boxes were back to their rainbow colors, his pink swing was hanging from the tree again, his bird baths and bird feeders were all set up again and refilled with water and seed, and the bird houses, including his favorites, the ones painted by the kids, were all returned to their places in his yard and repainted - carefully so as not to disturb any resident birds. The yard was officially back to the state it had been this morning before he’d changed things up.

Evening had fallen, and when Cas turned back towards his house after taking one last happy look around his yard, his eyes immediately found Dean. Seeing the tall, bow-legged man up on the ladder continuing to paint primer over the slats of his little house made him smile even bigger. He stepped up to the bottom of the ladder, admiring the view for a moment before speaking.

“It’s just about dinner time. I’d love it if you stayed to eat; it’s the least I can do after the help you’ve given me today.” He watched as Dean glanced down at him, back up at the side of the house where he rested his primer-laden brush, then back down at Cas.

“Just painted,” he said simply with a shake of his head.

“Dean,” Cas admonished gently, “You did far more for me today than ‘just paint’.” He ignored Dean’s chuckle at his use of air quotes. “Without you, I never would have considered sticking to my guns and fixing my yard back up. And I sure as heck wouldn’t have considered painting my house. Plus, you ‘just painted’ one-third of the house! That’s a lot of work for one afternoon! If you have plans or can’t stay, I understand, but if you can… Well it would mean a lot to me to be able to feed you dinner.”

Dean watched him for another moment before offering the tiniest curve of the corner of his mouth and a nod. He climbed down the ladder and the two of them cleaned up the supplies, leaving it all in his shed for the night. They made their way inside, the dogs following behind, and cleaned up before Cas made Dean sit at the table with a fresh glass of lemonade. 

“Alright, I thawed hamburger meat, so I can do hamburgers, tacos, shepherd pie, meatballs, or-”

“Pie?!” Dean’s voice held notes of excitement that Cas had yet to hear from him, and when Cas glanced over, he could see that Dean had actually, physically perked up in his chair. He imagined that if Dean were a dog, he’d be wagging his tail.

“Yes. Shepherd Pie has meat, gravy, some veggies, all in a flaky pie crust. It’s similar to a chicken pot pie, I suppose. Would you like that?” Dean nodded and smiled, an actual full on smile that made Castiel feel as though his legs had turned to jelly.

While Cas prepared the meal, he managed to engage Dean in light conversation. Dean was an enigma to say the least. Before showing up to chastise Cas for giving in to bullies and then promptly announcing they would be painting his house, Dean had never done more than half heartedly wave in Cas’s direction. He hadn’t even smiled, for Pete’s sake! Now here he was spending his time and effort - and even the occasional word or three - on Cas and his home. To say he wanted to know everything there was to know about this man was a complete understatement.

Dinner was delightful; Dean may have been on the quiet side, but he was a joy to be around. The word ‘crush’ might have flitted through Cas’s mind once or twice over the course of the evening. When Cas walked him out to his car, he made a side comment about how happy he was that not only was his yard going to stay ‘relentlessly gay’ but now his house was going to be more flamboyant than RuPaul’s Pride Parade Float. Dean chuckled softly, a warm and inviting sound that may or may not have made Cas swoon a little, and laid a hand on Castiel’s shoulder.

“Don’t ever change.”

Over the next week, Dean showed up at Castiel’s home in ratty work clothes and that ever present backwards baseball cap and they shared coffee on the porch before getting down to business. Dean would immediately get back to working on priming and painting the house, while Cas would run through his usual morning chores. They would break for lunch, then the afternoon was spent working side by side on the house.

One afternoon, Dean took a break from painting because he noticed that Cas had a section of guttering that had been damaged in the last storm. He fixed that while Cas fussed over him doing handyman work and not letting Cas pay him. But every time he found another handyman job to do - one day Cas even found him putting together the IKEA bookshelf he’d left in the box in his office while Cas had been preparing their lunch - and Cas would try to offer him money, Dean would just shrug and respond, “Pay me with pie.”

Cas would be lying if he said he wasn’t completely enamored with Dean. He never used two words when one would do and was more likely to let his facial expressions talk for him than to speak at all. He was meticulous in everything he did, whether it was applying paint onto the house, pouring birdseed in the feeders, or just drinking from a glass of lemonade. There was confidence in every movement that was mesmerizing to see. That little word ‘crush’ kept coming back more and more as Cas got to know him.

Cas learned that Dean owned his own mechanic shop in town, and that was why he was able to take his vacation time to work with Cas. When Cas fretted about Dean using up his hard earned vacation time for helping Cas, that he should be spending his time doing things that he would get something out of, he simply gave Cas a funny look and said, “I get something out of this, Cas.”

“What could you possibly get out of this other than a sore back and a sunburn?” Cas had already lost the battle against Dean wearing sunscreen to protect his fair, freckled skin.

Dean stood up from where he’d been squatted down painting the bottom of a red slat. He held up one finger. “Good dinners.” Cas opened his mouth to argue but Dean trudged on, holding up a second finger. “Getting back at homophobic assholes who act like being gay - or bi, in my case - is wrong.” Cas pointedly ignored the part of his brain that did a little dance at the knowledge that Dean liked men. Dean stuck up a third finger and listed his final ‘something’ that he got out of doing this. “Get to spend time with you.” 

The part of Cas’s brain that had just been doing a dance - as well as the rest of his brain - completely shut down. Dean just went back to painting like he hadn’t just tilted Cas’s world off-kilter and Cas stood there like an idiot. Dean standing up and quietly declaring he had finished that board snapped Castiel out of his stupor. He cleared his throat and made excuses about running inside to grab a drink when he tripped over his own two feet, reached out to grab onto anything that would keep him upright, and wrapped his hand around the business end of Dean’s paint brush that was still dripping with cherry red paint. When he yanked his hand back, he threw his balance off the opposite direction and started falling backwards. This time, Dean dropped the brush and reached out to grab Cas, and Cas latched one hand onto the ladder next to them and the other to Dean’s bicep. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him when he realized it was the hand that was covered in red paint.

Once Dean knew Cas was steady, he looked down at where Cas was still gripping his arm, gently peeled the other man’s fingers off, and looked curiously at the red handprint gracing his arm. Then he glanced up at Cas, who realized too late that Dean’s too-innocent face was a ploy before Dean turned Cas’s own hand around and smeared the same offending red paint right down the middle of Cas’s face.

Cas was so glad the paint had been red later when Dean forced them to take a selfie together showing off their ‘warpaint’, because he was blushing more than he ever had in his life.

Cas continued to serve Dean dinner nearly every night; there had only been one night so far that Dean had said he had promised to have dinner with family. It was one night when they were eating homemade pizza and discussing their favorite books and authors - with Cas still doing most of the talking, but hanging on to every word Dean shared - that the mystery neighbor who had written the homophobic letter made his return.

“Definitely prefer Slaughterhouse Five over Cat’s Cradle,” Dean said with a decisive nod then unceremoniously jammed the last bite of his pizza into his mouth. Before Cas could ask where he rated Breakfast of Champions and Player Piano, there was a knock at his door. He excused himself and went to answer. He was surprised, but happily so, to see Sam, Jody, Claire, and Mary at his door.

“Misser Castle, I bringded you cookies,” Mary announced before promptly launching herself into Cas’s arms. Cas laughed and hugged the exuberant little girl and waved them all inside.

“Please come on in everyone. I’m having dinner with a friend of mine, and there’s plenty of pizza left if any of you are hungry. Would anyone like a glass of lemonade?” He led the little group into the kitchen with a chorus of declinations for pizza but acceptance for lemonade following him in. He was shocked into nearly dropping her when Mary squealed and wiggled from his arms.

“Unca Dee, Unca Dee! You’re here! Are you and Misser Castle hunsbins now? I knowed that you would be! I told you, huh! And Misser Castle too; I told you, too, huh!” Mary climbed up into Dean’s lap and wrapped her little arms around his neck. The smile on Dean’s face when she flew at him was beautiful, but the blush that tinged his freckled face after her declarations was just as endearing. Cas knew he was blushing too, but he couldn’t look away from watching Dean with - apparently - his niece. Mary’s comments about her ‘Unca Dee’ and Dean’s comments about knowing the sheriff made him feel silly for not putting two and two together sooner.

A subtle “Wow…” from beside him made him realize he’d gone doe-eyed at Dean. He cleared his throat and glanced over to see Sam looking between him and Dean with a knowing smirk. He huffed and rolled his eyes before busying himself pouring lemonade for everyone, including refilling Dean’s glass. The soft smile he got from the man made his stomach flutter.

“I’m assuming by Mare-Bear calling you ‘Unca Dee’, that you’re Sam’s brother?” Dean nodded. “I didn’t realize when you said you had an ‘in’ with the sheriff, you meant she was family!” Dean smirked and gave Cas an unapologetic shrug, which made Cas swat his shoulder playfully.

“Unca Dee, did Misser Castle give you a sunflower to make y’all hunsbins like I told him too? Does this mean you’re gonna live HERE now?! Can I still have sweepovers but only now have them here with you and Misser Castle and Major and Cooper?!” Mary turned her excitement to Cas. “And does this mean I can call you Unca Castle now?” Mary didn’t even wait for an answer before clapping her hands happily and then climbing from her uncle’s lap to toddle after Major and Cooper, who were happy to have the attention.

“Um…” Cas said with wide eyes, speechless over Mary’s matchmaking when he’d already been dealing with harboring this unrequited crush on Dean.

A gentle poke to his side made him glance down. Dean looked downright pleased with himself as he leaned forward on his elbow, poked as Cas’s side again, and asked without a trace of innocence, “Where’s my sunflower, ‘Unca Castle’?”

Cas blushed furiously but couldn’t look away from the hold of Dean’s vivid green eyes. It was only when Claire mumbled, “Oh my god, just kiss already,” that Cas finally tore his gaze away and picked up their dinner dishes. He carried them to the sink with a small, private smile as he wondered if maybe his crush wasn’t as unrequited as he thought.

“So, is this where you’ve been all week, jerk?” Sam said with a shove to Dean’s shoulder, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

“Yes, bi-”

“Ahem!” Jody raised an eyebrow towards the three year old sitting in the floor with the dogs looking up at her uncle.

“-scuit.”

“Smooth, Winchester,” Jody said while rolling her eyes. She turned to Cas and handed him the tin of cookies, a folded up piece of blue construction paper, and a folded up piece of notebook paper. “Here are the cookies that Mary made, and a picture she colored you. The other thing was taped to your mailbox, which was laying in the ditch. I’m hoping this is the info left by the person who knocked it over.”

Cas frowned, trying to remember if he’d heard anything that sounded like someone hitting the mailbox. He didn’t even have two seconds to set the things down in order to read the note before Dean was right there in his space, grabbing the note and reading it. Cas happened to be in just the right position to see the way Jody grinned and nodded towards Dean before mouthing ‘protective’ at Sam, and the way Sam grinned and nodded back with a little shrug. Cas blushed a little and looked back up at Dean. The cute moment was pushed to the back of his mind when he realized that the concerned frown that had been on Dean’s face when Jody said someone hit the mailbox had changed to one of anger. Cas waited until Dean looked back up at him before yanking the note from his hand to read it himself. He felt Dean’s hand rest at his waist, his thumb rubbing lightly in a comforting gesture. As he made his way through the letter, he was thankful for that comfort, because once again, he felt the weight of the world settle down over his shoulders as disappointment, anger, and hurt filled his heart.

_Dear Uncooperative Resident of Collins Avenue,_

_You were asked nicely to **TONE DOWN YOUR RELENTLESSLY GAY YARD** and yet you have actually done the opposite by going so far as to turn your home into a **SHRINE OF SIN** that not only has **DIMINISHED** the **VALUE AND INTEGRITY** of this neighborhood, but has also become a **BEACON OF HEDONISM AND UNGODLINESS**. You and your kind are **ABOMINATIONS OF THE DEVIL** and you have **TAINTED** the good residents of this area. This is your final warning: Turn away from this flamboyance, fix your home back to the good standards of our **CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORHOOD** , and repent unto Christ and perhaps he will have mercy on your soul. If you do not, you will bring down the **HOLY WRATH** of God, his followers, and the Law._

_A Concerned Homeowner_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyyyyy :) been like...6 months. legit, the DAY I posted the second chapter (actually, to be exact, 2.5 hours after I posted the second chapter...) I went home and fainted in the shower thanks to a combination of an undiagnosed heart condition and pneumonia. the fall broke two bones in my leg and one in my ankle, and dislocated the ankle. I was hospitalized for 3 weeks, in therapy for another 2 months, and then finally was all healed up and able to walk again. this was 2 months after stomach surgery (which is how I got pneumonia...I aspirated when I threw up...) ((is this TMI??? lol)) so IT'S BEEN A REALLY ROUGH LIKE...9 MONTHS FOR ME OKAY! But alas, I'm healed, walking, the ticker is ticking, I'm back to work, etc etc. So, have a chapter of this craziness!! :) Loves yous guyses!!!


	4. The One Where They Finally Kiss

After reading the note that the so called ‘concerned homeowner’ had left for Cas, Dean had trudged out to the end of the driveway to take a look at the mailbox with Cas and Jody right behind him. While it hadn’t been anything fancy, or anything particularly special like Cas’s bird houses painted by neighborhood kids, it still pained Cas to see it busted up and lying in the ditch like a piece of trash. Dean knelt down beside the dented, broken box and the splintered wooden post and frowned deeper.

“Don’t touch anything. I doubt there are any fingerprints to find, but I’m going to call in and have someone come check just in case. They’ll take pictures as well and you can begin the process of filing charges, Castiel.” Jody patted his shoulder then pulled out her cell phone as she walked inside. Cas sighed frustratedly and continued to stare down the mailbox like it might fess up to what happened. Dean’s hand on his shoulder made him look back up.

“Go back inside. Show Jody the first note. I’ll be right back.” Dean pulled his keys from his pocket and headed over to the Impala. He stopped halfway there and looked back over at Cas with a strange look on his face.

“What?” Cas asked self consciously. Dean didn’t answer, but instead in two great strides marched back over to Cas and pulled him into a hard hug. Cas immediately wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and nearly swooned when he felt Dean press his lips against Cas’s forehead. That was definitely a feeling he could get used to. He didn’t resist the urge to nuzzle against Dean’s chin gently before they let go of each other. Dean gave him a gentle nudge towards the front of the house.

Cas did as Dean requested and went back inside, listening as the rumble of the Impala started up then faded as Dean drove off.

“I heard Baby, Unca Castle. Where’d Unca Dee go?” Mary asked as she latched her little arms and legs around Cas’s leg.

“He said he needed to run an errand and he will be back very soon, Mare-bear. Or maybe I should start calling you spider monkey?” Cas asked, wiggling his leg and jostling Mary into a fit of giggles.

Still halfway giggling, Mary poked her head out to see around Cas and said, “Mama, what’s a ‘nerrand’?”

“ _Er_ rand,” Jody corrected, slowly saying the word so Mary could understand better. “It means he had to get in his car and drive somewhere because he had something to do.”

Mary looked back up at Cas. “Well, why’d he have a nerrand?” Jody just rolled her eyes and smiled fondly at Mary mispronouncing the word again.

“I’m not sure, sweety, but I’m sure it was very important if he had to do it right now.”

“Well, where’d he go?”

“I’m not sure about that either. He didn’t tell me where he was going.”

“Why not?”

“To make you ask questions, Mary Kate Winchester,” Sam said with a raised eyebrow at his daughter. Mary grinned, stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry towards her father, then took off with a squeal and another giggle fit when he stood up and made tickle hands at her. “Sorry about the Spanish Inquisition there, Castiel,” Sam said, shaking his head exasperatedly and sitting back down.

“I would expect nothing less from the daughter of the sheriff and an attorney.” Cas grinned when Sam laughed and nodded. He turned to Jody, who was standing behind Claire’s chair running her fingers through her daughters hair and watching the others with an amused smile.

“Dean asked that I show you this,” Cas pulled out his wallet and took out the folded up original note. “The note tonight wasn’t the first.” He handed it over and let Jody read it. He rubbed absently at his arm while he waited for her to look it over.

“Hm. Was the mailbox the first physical damage done?” She asked.

“Yes, unless you count leaving the gate open and letting my dogs loose.”

“Were the dogs hurt?”

“No. Major just stayed on the porch, and Cooper came straight to me. It was the evening I walked Mary and Claire home after they helped bathe the dogs.” He thought about it for a moment before adding thoughtfully, “In fact, now that I think about it, due to the timing of everything, he or she must have been watching and waited until I’d left the property in order to leave the note.” Jody nodded, thinking things over before sighing and laying the note on the counter next to the one that had come in that evening.

“Well, the first note didn’t come with any physical damage, and while it’s tacky and rude, it isn’t illegal. Since neither dog was harmed, there’s nothing that can be done about that instance, specifically. Now that there has been harm to your property - and messing with mailboxes is a misdemeanor in and of itself - the note will go in the file and lend credit to the fact that this person is continually harassing you. I called this in, and someone will be along shortly to dust for prints on the mailbox as well as the notes. Is it just me, you, and Dean that have handled the notes?” Castiel nodded. “Good, we can give prints so they can rule ours out. Don’t get your hopes up; the notes have been handled by us enough now that any prints that might have been there may not be legible anymore, but again, it’s worth a try.”

They chatted back and forth for a little while longer until there was a knock on Castiel’s door. Jody followed him over, and he opened the door to two uniformed officers.

“Donna, Victor, this is Castiel Novak.” Cas spent the next few minutes answering the officers’ questions and watching them take down information. They bagged the two notes up - after allowing Castiel to take pictures of them with his phone just in case - and explained that they would dust for prints on the mailbox and then head back to the station and file the report. Victor left his card with Castiel and told him to call if he thought of anything else to add on the two notes and the mailbox incident, and of course if anything else happened.

Dean arrived back while the officers were finishing up at the mailbox. Cas watched out the window as Dean conversed with Victor and Donna, seemingly friendly with both of them. When they finished what they were doing, Donna and Victor spoke a moment more with Dean before Donna gave him a hug and Victor clapped him on the shoulder. They waved up at Jody who was standing on the porch then got back in their patrol car and drove off. 

Dean took the busted mailbox and post and dropped them in the trashcan by the side of the house before making his way inside. He and Jody came in together, quietly talking - well, Jody was talking, with Dean nodding or shaking his head and occasionally offering up a word or two in his usual way. Cas waited until it seemed like their discussion was over, not wanting to interrupt, before he went over to them.

“Like I assumed, they weren’t able to find any prints. The mailbox was most likely hit by a car, but there wasn’t any paint transfer either, so there’s nothing much to go on. At this point, there’s really not much we can do besides having an officer drive the neighborhood a little more often to patrol. Obviously, the best thing that could happen is for this person to just leave you alone from now on, but I don’t see that happening. So keep you eyes and ears open and anything you think could possibly be beneficial to your file, call it in.” Jody squeezed Cas’s shoulder before ducking into the living room and scooping Mary up from where she was laying in the floor carrying on a one-sided conversation with Major and Cooper. The family said goodnight to both Cas and Dean and headed back home.

Cas turned to Dean after closing the door behind them. He was about to ask if Dean wanted a few of the cookies Mary made when Dean held up a large plastic bag Cas hadn’t even noticed he’d been carrying. How he hadn’t noticed it, considering just how large and seemingly full it was, Cas didn’t know.

“Computer?” He asked simply. Cas nodded and grabbed the tin of cookies off the counter before waving Dean forward into the hallway. Dean flipped the lock on the door before following, Major and Cooper taking up the rear of their little convoy. Cas lead Dean into the room across from his bedroom that he used as an office. His all-in-one desktop was on the desk and he offered the chair to Dean. Dean sat and cleared the few things that were laying on the desk out of the way before taking things out of the bag. Cas stepped closer to watch and nearly squeaked when he was unceremoniously picked up - _that should not be as hot as it is_ , Cas thought - and then set down gently on Dean’s left thigh. 

“Um… I…” Cas stuttered and blushed, but all Dean did was raise an eyebrow and smirk before turning his attention back to his spoils. Cas swallowed hard and forced himself to just relax in Dean’s arms and ignore his racing heart. He followed Dean’s lead and looked over the items on his desk. There was a small roll of electrical tape, a large brass knocker with a chicken on it, two long boxes containing yard flags - one that featured a large bumblebee with rainbow stripes and one with a big yellow sunflower - and three small black boxes that contained - Cas raised his eyebrows and sat forward a little - high tech micro hidden cameras.

“What in the world are you planning now?” Cas asked curiously. Dean picked up the brass knocker and showed it to him.

“Knew the cops wouldn’t be able to do much. I’m putting up hidden cameras on your property. Your knocker doesn’t have a way to hide a camera, so I got one that would.” Dean looked from Cas’s face to the knocker in his hand a few times before saying with a timidness that reminded Cas of a young child seeking approval, “It, uh, it has a chicken… like Daisy…” Cas smiled adoringly and took the knocker from Dean, letting his hand linger against Dean’s for a moment first. Dean cleared his throat and continued, pulling the boxes with the yard flags over in front of them. “Also want views of the rest of the property, so I got one of these for the front yard and the back.” He turned them so Cas could better see the designs. “Do you like them? Can exchange them if you don’t.” 

“Dean, they’re beautiful! They’re perfect; I can’t believe you found things - the knocker and the flags both - that are so, well, _me_!” Dean’s blush and gruff, mumbled answer made Cas grin. He shook his head fondly then set down the brass knocker and grabbed up one of the camera boxes and read it over.

“Dean!” Cas admonished after seeing just how fancy and high tech the cameras actually were. “How much was all of this? You have to let me pay you back!” Cas reached over to a drawer and grabbed his checkbook. Dean snatched the checkbook right out of his hands, chunked it back in the drawer, then shut the door; he did it all so fast that Cas barely had time to comprehend that the checkbook had even been removed from his hand.

“Dammit, Dean!” Cas said when he turned, matching the scowl on Dean’s face with one of his own. “I know those cameras aren’t cheap. I’m sure that the beautiful yard flags were a pretty penny, too. These are for my home, I should be the one paying for them!”

Dean took the camera box from Cas’s hands and laid it back on the desk before once again picking Cas up like he weighed next to nothing and set him on the desk directly in front of him. Then Dean stood and cupped his hands around Cas’s face, looking down at him in a way that made butterflies jump to life in his stomach.

“Know we haven’t known each other long, but I feel very...” Dean paused as if searching for the right word. “... _Protective_ of you. I _need_ to take care of you. Please don’t fight me on this. Don’t want your money, just want to do this for you. To make sure you’re safe.” His voice was as rough as the calloused pads of his thumbs where they stroked against the soft skin of Cas’s cheeks. He leaned slightly closer and murmured, “Can’t stand the thought of this escalating and you gettin’ hurt.”

“Dean,” Cas whispered, drawn in by the building heat between them and Dean’s darkening eyes. When Dean’s lips finally pressed against his own, the heat between them unfurled. It wasn’t the explosion of fiery passion; it was the soothing comfort of a warm blanket. It covered them, wrapped around them. It felt like coming home. Cas wrapped his fingers in the front of Dean’s shirt and sank into the kiss. Their lips moved slowly, softly against each other. Neither man could have said if the kiss lasted seconds, minutes, or hours, but when they finally pulled apart there was a new awareness between them.

“Gonna take care of you, Cas,” Dean murmured, brushing his thumb along Cas’s jaw. Cas nodded and then squeaked when Dean picked him up and set him away from the desk, giving him one last peck on the lips before smirking. “Cookies?”

Cas laughed softly and went to grab the container of Mary’s cookies. When he got back to the office, Dean was engrossed in setting up the hidden cameras. Cas felt the need to be close, so instead of sitting in the window bench away from the desk where Dean was working, he stepped down the hall and grabbed a pillow and the dog brush. He set the pillow by Dean’s legs and settled down on it, leaning back against the other man. While Dean worked and munched on cookies, Cas groomed Major, whose short fur barely needed it, and Cooper, whose long, thick coat definitely did need it.

The silence between them was surprisingly comforting, just the sound of the brush gliding through Cooper’s coat, the tinkering of Dean’s project, and the occasional murmured comments and clicking of the keyboard as he linked the cameras to the WiFi and Cas’s computer. When Cas finished with the dogs, he saw that Dean had also finished with the software itself and was now fastening one of the tiny cameras delicately to the brass knocker. Cas stood and stretched, then leaned down to brush a soft kiss against Dean’s temple - which got him a soft, adoring smile in return. He left Dean to his tinkering and went around to take care of nighttime chores, stepping out to check on the chickens, letting the dogs out again, refilling their food and water dishes, and picking up what little mess was left from dinner.

He’d wasted enough time that Dean found him in the kitchen and asked him to sit at the computer to view the camera feed while Dean set things up so he could direct him if the cameras needed to be adjusted. Cas agreed and called Dean’s phone so they would be connected then went to settle in front of the computer. The program the cameras were set up on had a view of all three feeds up on the monitor. He watched and listened as Dean removed the old knocker with a small power drill then installed the new one. He asked Cas about the view, the glare, tested it with the porch light on and then off. Once Dean was confident about it, he did the same with both flags, allowing Cas to direct him to turn them slightly to fix views. When it was all said and done, there was a perfect view from directly in front of the door to anyone coming or going into the house, a full panoramic view of the front yard, and another of the back.

They hung up the phone and Cas met Dean on the front porch. “Thank you for doing this, Dean,” Cas said as he stepped close and looked up into the taller man’s gorgeous green eyes. Dean nodded before leaning down to press his lips against Cas’s again. They lost themselves in the gentle give and take of their lips moving against each other until they finally pulled away and said goodnight.

Cas went in, locked up, and he and his four-legged companions made their way up to bed. He fell asleep thinking of bright green eyes watching over him, strong arms holding him, and soft, sweet lips kissing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. *sighs and swoons at the kissy kissy smoochy smoochy*
> 
> Thoughts? :D

**Author's Note:**

> Cooper the Border Collie is my actual dog :)


End file.
